Yasiel Puig in Legal Trouble, Tied to Unlicensed Sportsbook Ops

• Yasiel Puig could face up to five years in federal prison after lying to federal agents about his past sports betting.
• Both bookies and the operator of the unlicensed sportsbook have plead guilty to felony chargers as well.

NEW YORK – On one count of making a false statement, Yasiel Puig agreed to a guilty plea regarding his potential involvement with an underground sports betting operation.

With a maximum sentence of five years in prison, Puig has paid a fine of $55,000.

His lie to federal agents, circled back to his sports betting in 2019, where he lost almost $300,000 in sports betting losses. At one point, Puig wired $200,000 to a client of Wayne Joseph Nix through cashier’s checks.

Puig bet on sports and his bookie worked under a non legal US sportsbook operated by Nix.

Early in 2022, Puig was investigated with his involvement. But Puig stated he only knew Nix from baseball. It was found that Puig left a trail of phone and text messages discussing sports betting with his bookie though, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Puig was said to have bet almost 900 more times, though bets on baseball were not recorded in the report.

Aside from a money transfer, there is also a WhatsApp recording of him explaining how he lied to federal agents.

On Tuesday, Puig’s agent, Lisette Carnet, has this statement released.

“The government’s indictment arises out of a single interview (Puig) gave back in January via Zoom,” Carnet said. “He came to the interview feeling rushed, unprepared, without criminal counsel with him, and also lacked his own interpreter. Given his history growing up in authoritarian Cuba, government interviews are triggering and only worsen his ADHD symptoms and other mental health struggles, for which he is in treatment. He would have benefitted from this care at the time of the interview. Puig took responsibility, and this agreement with the government should end this whole unfortunate incident.”

Guilty By Association?

While a connection to a bookie may land him in prison for five years, it doesn’t end there for MLB betting involvement.

Erik Hiljus plead guilty to two counts of subscribing to false tax returns. As a bookie/agent under Nix, he is looking at up to six years in prison.

As for Nix, he plead guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and filing a false tax return in April.

News tags: Erik Hiljus | MLB | Wayne Joseph Nix | Yasiel Puig